DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 337 



he were handling a lot. In the first instance the commission 

 man knew he was going to have just so many kinds and grades 

 of apples, and so he could look out for the trade and advise the 

 farmer by wire when to ship. If you are not going to sell 

 through cooperative associations, I think you should by all means 

 go to the city and connect yourself with one good commission 

 house. There are just as many good commission houses as 

 there are good farmers, and there are just as many dishonest 

 ones as dishonest farmers. What fertilizer company would 

 ship you a car of grain without looking you up? Hundreds of 

 farmers ship products to the markets, considering that every- 

 body is honest, and get fleeced. Every farmer who keeps a 

 checking account with some bank or Trust Company, can go to 

 his bank and say, I am going to ship chickens or apples or 

 potatoes to such a firm in Boston, and the bank will look them 

 up. Each bank in the country has its corresponding city bank, 

 and through this bank can find out the standing of any firm, 

 as the bank can call the police station and if a commission 

 house is in hot water all the time you can make up your mind 

 there is something the matter with them. The complaints will 

 be recorded in the police station. Or the information can be 

 obtained by writing the Chamber of Commerce or the Fruit 

 and Produce Exchange. You probably receive circulars from 

 commission men stating that they will give you so muth more 

 than others, but nobody ever heard of them beforehand. They 

 get a big shipment in one city and then go to another. A lot of 

 people are anxious to give up their money to somebody ; but if 

 you use good business principles, you can find out before- 

 hand whether a firm is reliable. I appreciate the fact that 

 every farmer cannot go to Boston, but it is almost necessary for 

 somebody to go to Boston and if any of you do come down I 

 will be very glad to give you a list or introduce you to reliable 

 people who are dealing in the goods you have to sell. There 

 are business houses who have been handling certain farmers' 

 apples for 35 years. One commission house has handled over 

 350 farmers' apples for more than 30 years. A good commis- 

 sion house is anxious to handle your product and will advise 

 you how to put it up and what to do. But when possible I think 

 you should take hold with your agencies and farmers' associa- 

 tions and sell your products through them. 

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